NEW DELHI. -- (BUSINESS WIRE/ AETOS Wire) -- In its endeavor to strengthen India’s position as a global graduate management education hub, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), owner of the GMAT® exam and NMAT by GMAC™ exam, has partnered with 9 leading Indian B-schools to launch Study in India Initiative.

This partnership will open doors for international aspirants across 27 countries to pursue management education in India, and arose from the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s directive to rebuild India’s attractiveness as a study destination for higher education in Africa, Middle East, South and East Asia.

The 9 business schools associated with the Study in India initiative are:1. Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA)2. Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB)3. Indian School of Business (ISB)4. Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM Indore)5. Xavier University Bhubaneswar (XUB)6. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR)7. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)8. Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM)9. IMT Ghaziabad

Study in India is expected to build and strengthen preference for Indian B-schools in relevant international markets. Aspirants from these 27 countries can now log on to the Study in India website, www.mba.com/studyinindia, and will have the option to secure admission in any of the 9 partner B-schools in India using their GMAT scores.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sangeet Chowfla, president and CEO of GMAC said, “India has all the elements in the making of becoming a global education hub because it has the unique advantage of providing world class, high quality education at affordable prices. Students across these emerging markets will now have access to some of these top business schools, which are globally accredited, have superior infrastructure, faculty and curriculum. Study in India intends to connect international talent and aspiration with the right opportunity on India’s B-school campuses. We would also like to thank the Ministry of Human Resources Development and our partner schools for their support in making this initiative a reality. We are positive that the Study in India initiative will assist business schools in creating a larger and much diverse international talent pool, while offering students a high-impact learning experience.”

This initiative also holds strategic promise for Indian management education; a rise in enrollment may lead to an increase in student diversity at these institutions, enhancing the overall classroom experience for students.